Seasonal Variation of Heart Failure Admission in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: Heart failure is an important medical andpublic health issue, leading to morbidity and mortality.Seasonal variation of hospital admission due to heart failurehas been observed in different countries, but populationbased data is scarce in South-East Asia and Bangladesh.Aims: This study aimed to assess the seasonal influence onhospitalization of heart failure patients by comparing thenumber of admissions during winter to those in otherseasons. Methods: This study was conducted at theDepartment of Cardiology, Dhaka Medical CollegeHospital (DMCH), Dhaka, from April 2015 to March 2016,among patients admitted with heart failure. Patients werediagnosed based on their medical history, clinicalpresentation, and investigative findings. Statistical testswere used to analyze the impact of season on heart failureadmission patients. Results: The study involved 584 patients with heart failure. The largestnumber of patients were admitted in winter (n=207, 35.4%), followed by post-monsoon(n=149, 25.5%) and monsoon (n=120, 20.5%). The smallest number of patients were admittedduring summer (n=108, 18.5%). Statistical analysis showed that the difference in admissionsbetween winter and summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon was significant (p<0.001, p<0.001,and p<0.02, respectively). Heart failure patients exhibited seasonal variation. The studydescribed the association of this variation with risk factors and co-morbidities across all agegroups and genders. Conclusion: Seasonal variation of hospital admission due to heart failurewas peaked in the winter which was found in this study.